What I Go to School For
by Doctor Addison Montgomery
Summary: Sam/Nate. AU version of the current storyline. Nate is appointed as Safer Schools Officer at Deansgate Comprehensive but is distracted from his duty by a teacher, named Samantha Nixon. Reviews are appreciated! Xx
1. Part 1

**What I Go to School For**

**Summary: Sam/Nate. AU version of the current storyline. Nate is appointed as Safer Schools Officer at Deansgate Comprehensive but is distracted from his duty by a teacher, named Samantha Nixon.**

**Reviews are appreciated! Not sure how long this fic will be, I'll just see how it goes! Xx**

**Part 1:**

"I don't know why I got saddled with this job," Nate moaned to Beth as they walked towards the canteen together. "I don't even like kids, and they won't wanna listen to me."

Beth smiled, accepting the door that Nate held open for her. "Oh, I don't know," She grinned even wider. "I'm sure some of the girls will listen to you."

Nate sent her a look. "Thanks, Beth." He replied sarcastically, joining the end of the queue. He knew he shouldn't complain about his new position, he really was honoured that he had been chosen out of all of the officers to represent the station at the local comprehensive school, but it still wasn't a job he particularly wanted. He'd never really been interested in helping to rehabilitate wayward teens but it would certainly make the job more interesting.

Nate and Beth took their trays over to a table where several other of the uniformed officers were already sitting.

"Congratulations PC Roberts," Dale Smith said as they took their seats. The other officers at the table mumbled their own congratulations too.

"Thanks serge," Nate smiled, knowing that his sergeant would have had something to do with his promotion.

"When do you start?" He asked.

"Not till Monday," Nate replied, but part of him had wished that it was sooner. Mainly because the sooner he started, the sooner he would be able to finish but mainly because he really wanted to sink his teeth into the challenge and hated waiting around for things to happen.

"Take the rest of the week off," Smithy offered. "Just come in for briefings and your training session with the Superintendent."

"Thanks," Tucking into his lunch with more fervour than the shepherd's pie deserved.

Nate came into the station on Friday morning for his training briefing with Superintendent Heaton. He was eager to start and wanted to learn everything as fast as possible. He knew he would have to know what he was talking about in order to get through to the kids at the school, and most of all he wanted them to like him.

By the time Monday morning came around, Nate was itching to get to the school. It was something he had never experienced as a child, but today would be totally different from his own school days.

* * *

On Monday morning, Nate was greeted by the headmaster and his deputy. They introduced him to the staff and gave him a map of the school campus.

"I don't expect you to remember everybody's names, and not everyone is here today, but I'm sure you'll learn who everyone is soon." The headmaster, Mr Davis told Nate who nodded, trying to hold onto everything he had learned already.

A woman approached Mr Davis, pausing their conversation. "Sorry I'm late, Brian, there was an accident at the end of my road this morning."

"It's alright," Brian replied. "While you're here you really should meet PC Nate Roberts, he's our Safer Schools Officer from Sun Hill station."

"Nice to meet you," The blonde woman, who seemed to be becoming more attractive to Nate by the moment, offered her hand to him and he shook it.

"Nice to meet you too," He replied, and he meant it.

"I should be going, registration starts in a few minutes. I'll see you around." She smiled at him and turned away, leaving a hint of her perfume in the air.

Maybe, Nate thought, this assignment would be even better than he had hoped for. It wasn't until after she was out of sight, that he remembered he didn't even know her name yet. He could ask Mr David, he supposed, but he was sure that if he did the headmaster would see right through him.

* * *

"Have you met the new Safer Schools copper?" Samantha Nixon asked her friend the history teacher.

"No, what's he like?" Emily Walker asked, looking at her friend with interest. Her Year 10 class were still on their way back from morning assembly and she savoured the few moments of adult conversation she had left.

Samantha felt a guilty smile twist at her lips, and a faint blush coloured her cheeks. "He's pretty gorgeous," She admitted. "Makes the uniform look really good, if you know what I mean."

Emily laughed. "I'm looking forward to seeing him then." Opening a folder and taking our her lesson plan. "It's about time we had some fresh blood around here."

"I agree," Samantha replied whole heartedly. "I have to warn you though, he's pretty young."

"Oh Sam, you're awful." Emily laughed. The first few pupils were beginning to arrive. "I'll talk to you at break."

* * *

Samantha walked to her office, a perk of being the head of the English department. As she walked she barely paid attention to where she was going. The halls were quiet and empty, with all the students in their classes. Her head was full of lesson plans and she was considering which assignment to give her Sixth Form students, when she realised she was heading straight for the attractive policeman she had met earlier.

She managed to stop short of walking into him, and changed her course to avoid his path but he had had the same thought.

"Sorry," She laughed as they danced around each other. She was grateful, for more than one reason, that they were alone in the corridor.

"Oh no, it was my fault." Nate replied, blushing a little. "I was wondering if you could help me," He said, noticing the enticing beauty of her green eyes for the first time. "I can't find Year 7B, it says it's right here on the map but I can't find them."

Samantha smiled kindly, taking the map from his hands and turning it around. "That should make it easier."

Nate knew that he was going redder in the face by the second. He'd been here less than an hour and he'd already embarrassed himself in front of the most beautiful woman he had possibly ever seen.

"Thanks, that should definitely make it easier." He replied, trying to laugh his mistake off. "I don't think I caught your name earlier." He added, wanting to make the most of this time he had alone with her.

"The kids called me Ms Nixon, but you can call me Samantha." She smiled.

"Well, thank you Samantha, I'd better go and see these Year 7s." He said, hating to have to leave her but knowing he had a job to do here.

"Good luck," She called after him, watching him walk away. She wondered if he'd cause more trouble around here than he prevented.

* * *

Nate tried his hardest to concentrate as he talked to Year 7 about being safe and staying out of trouble, and answering their questions. Still, the whole time he was talking to them he was thinking about Samantha. Thinking about her long light blonde hair, her sparkling green eyes, her petite but curvaceous body. He fantasised about seeing her in the hallway again, this time not making a fool of himself but asking her for a drink; for a dinner or just kissing her. He knew he would never be offered another promotion ever again if he yielded to his desires but Samantha was just too tempting to forget about.

He pointed to a boy in the front row who had his hand up. "What's your name?" He asked.

"Sam," The boy replied, and Nate was beginning to believe that he had imagined it but fought hard to concentrate on asking the male Sam's question.

Finally, it was lunch break and Nate followed the Year 9 tutor to the canteen. He had just finished talking to Mr Bishop's class about community safety and it had been much more of a challenge than the Year 7s had provided. He wondered how good he would be at this job, but forced himself to try harder, after all getting close to Samantha depended on it.

"You can sit on the top table with us," Lance Bishop told Nate, who nodded gratefully his stomach growling. Lance laughed. "I hope you're not too hungry, school food is still crap."

Nate smiled. "The food in our canteen at the station sucks too." He replied, as the two men joined the line.

* * *

Samantha and Emily were already in the canteen when Nate and Lance arrived.

"That's him!" Samantha pointed as subtly as she could to where Nate stood in line, his back to them. She had just finished telling Emily about what had happened in the hallway earlier that morning.

Emily took a good look at where Samantha was pointing and nodded slowly and approvingly.

"Not bad, not bad at all." She decided, her eyes scanning Nate from head to toe.

Samantha laughed, covering her mouth with her hand. "And you haven't seen his face yet!"

"I don't always share your taste in men Sam, but I'll fight you for this one!" Emily laughed, pushing her plate away and picking up her coffee instead. Samantha coughed, pointing at the engagement ring on Emily's finger, but the brunette shrugged it off. "Just because I'm engaged doesn't mean I can't look!" She protested.

Nate and Lance carried their trays up to the table at the end of the room where the rest of the staff sat.

"Look now," Samantha mumbled under her breath, seeing the two men head in their direction.

"Gosh, he is young." Emily said, finally getting a proper look at him now.

"Mind if we sit here?" Lance Bishop asked, placing his tray down next to Emily's.

"Go ahead," Emily replied, looking across at Samantha and smirking.

"Did you find all your other classes okay?" She asked Nate.

He grinned. "Yeah, thanks for that."

"You're welcome," She replied with a smile also, leaving Emily and Lance looking at each other knowingly.

* * *

After the pleasant surprise of spending nearly all his lunch break with Samantha, even if Emily and Lance were there too, Nate's afternoon was harder than he had expected. His first challenge was to talk to the Sixth Form who were quiet and uninterested in his talk. He tried to make it as interesting as possible, trying to think of the kind of talk he would have wanted to listen to when he was their age. Talking to Year 11 was harder still, they all had their mind on other things, exams and the opposite sex and were clearly not at all interested in what Nate had to say. Those who could be bothered to listen, picked holes in his points. He couldn't blame them though, he had been one of those kinds of kids when he'd been at school.

Nate was relieved when the last lesson came to an end and he headed off to see the headmaster.

"So, how was your first day?" Brian Davis asked, pouring Nate a coffee and leaning against his desk.

"It was good," He said, trying not to let meeting Samantha alter his judgement of the day. "Most of the kids were pretty receptive, and today was only the beginning."

Brian nodded, impressed with Nate already. "So, we'll be seeing you tomorrow then."

"Yes, sir." Nate replied, with a smile.

Mr Davis laughed. "You're not at the station now Nate, you can call me Brian."

Nate smiled. "Thank you, Brian. I'll see you tomorrow." He finished his coffee and left the office, looking forward to getting back to his apartment and away from teenagers for a few hours.

* * *

Nate was making his way out of school towards his car when he heard heels behind him, rushing to catch up with him. He stopped, turning around with curiosity to see who it could be. He was surprised to find Samantha Nixon running after him, strands coming loose from her blonde ponytail and her breasts and hips swaying with her movement.

"Hey," He smiled, unable to form a sentence that would pass for coherent.

"Hi," She smiled, slowing her pace to match his more leisured one. "Running in heels is not recommended," She laughed.

"I'll bear than in mind." Nate replied, his mind racing with reasons why she had been running after him. "Are you okay?" He asked.

She nodded. "I'm fine, I was wondering if you'd like to go for a drink with me," She paused. "Tonight?"

Nate was almost sure she was playing with him, he didn't do badly with women but he never got this lucky either. He would like nothing more than to have a drink with her, especially if it ended up at either of their homes, but his tongue was moving before he could stop it.

"Thanks Samantha, that's really kind of you but I'm going to have to say no." Shocked by what his own mouth had said, Nate walked away without even saying goodbye. In doing so he missed the hurt and disappointed look on Samantha Nixon's face.

**So, what did you think? Xx**


	2. Part 2

What I Go to School For

**Thank you so much for all the reviews! I was surprised at how many people read & reviewed this, so thanks a lot!  
DI Samantha Hunter: Thanks for your review, as always! Glad you liked it! Haha true, I wouldn't have wanted to be a fly on the wall during a staff meeting at my old school, lol.  
Huxabelle164: Thanks for reviewing! He might change his mind, you never know! ;)  
Huxonbabe: Thanks for your review, glad you liked it! Hopefully you wont think this chapter is too rush, we're taking two steps forward and two steps back here, lol!  
A for Antechinus: Thanks very much for reviewing!  
Krissie Taylor: Thank you! Hope you like this chapter too!  
Miss Sun Hill: Whoa, caps lock, lol! Thanks so much for your review! Hehe, I don't think anyone would complain about being paired off with Ben Richards, lol! Your uncle has a srsly awesome job!**

**_Here goes Part 2, there'll probably be five or six chapters in total. This chapter isn't suitable for younger readers, but isn't too explicit either. Reviews are appreciated! Happy Easter everyone! Xx_**

* * *

Part 2:

Nate stopped himself from drinking anymore after the second can of lager. What sort of an example would he be setting if he went back to the school tomorrow with a hangover and stinking of booze? He was still confused as to why he had refused Samantha's offer of a drink. It didn't make sense to him. After all, she may only have wanted to have a friendly drink and ask him how his first day had been, but he suspected this wasn't her motivations. The most amazing woman he had ever met had asked him out and he had turned her down, it was insane. He wondered how he'd ever be able to face her tomorrow.

Initially Samantha had been angry with Nate for turning down her offer of a drink, she had thought there was a spark between them but he had extinguished it. But now, as she thought about it over a glass of red wine in her empty flat, she realised that it made her like him even more. Nate had a job to do at Deansgate and it meant setting a good example and being responsible. Going out for a drink with one of the teachers on his very first day there would never win him any respect with the kids, or the staff. Damn him, she thought, pouring herself another glass of wine, why did he have to be so gorgeous and so charming, yet so unattainable too?

Typically the first person Nate ran into when he walked into school the next day was Samantha. He said good morning to her as pleasantly as he could, hoping he hadn't upset her yesterday by turning her down, but instead she smiled back at him and they exchanged small talk for a few minutes before the first bell rang. Nate was left feeling confused, but far more optimistic, maybe she had forgiven him for his rudeness of yesterday.

Samantha was teaching a group of Year 8 students that morning and half an hour before the lesson was due to finish, she told them to pack their things away.

"PC Roberts from Sun Hill Police Station is going to be with us for the rest of today's lesson." She explained. "He's going to talk to us about what is and what isn't inappropriate behaviour. He'll explain more about it when he gets here." She tried to ignore the sensation low in her stomach when she thought about the fact that Nate would be talking to her class today. A minute or two later there was a knock on the door and she called to Nate to come in.

"Hi," He greeted. "I'm PC Nate Roberts," He began and started talking to them about what was appropriate and inappropriate behaviour between relatives and children, and people in positions of authority and children. "To make this a bit more interesting for you, Ms Nixon and I will give you some examples of what should be expected and what shouldn't."

Samantha looked at him as though he was crazy, but hid the look as quickly as she could trying to main calm and professional, two things that were near impossible when Nate was near her. She stood up and straightened her skirt, suddenly feeling nervous and embarrassed in front of the class, even though they were one of her favourite groups.

"I'm sorry, was that awkward?" Nate asked. He and Samantha were alone in the classroom now that the Year 8s had headed off to lunch. "I didn't know what to do to make the kids more receptive so I decided show and tell would be a better approach."

Samantha smirked. "A better approach for who?"

Nate flushed a deep pink. "Maybe I should have I asked you first, I'm sorry." He apologised and Samantha could tell that he meant it.

"It's okay, I was just a little surprised." She admitted. "Shall we go and get some lunch?"

Nate nodded. "Yeah, but not here, let's go into town...or somewhere." He finished lamely.

Samantha raised her eyebrows at him, but she agreed all the same. If this was what she wanted, she'd happily go along with it.

* * *

They stumbled in through Nate's front door, and he reached out for Samantha to stop her from falling. His mouth found her's again and they kissed each other hungrily, knowing that time was of the essence. Nate helped her towards his bedroom, hoping she'd ignore his messy flat. He couldn't believe this way happening between them. After last night he had thought that he'd blown his chance with her but now here she was, in his apartment, her hair mussed and her breathing erratic as their mouths explored each other.

They finally made it to his bedroom, undressing each other and falling haphazardly onto the bed. Nate was almost sure that Samantha would change her mind at any moment, or that he'd realise this was just a dream. But the feel on her skin against his, and her hands on him was definitely real.

"We have to be back at school in ten minutes!" She panicked, looking at the clock on Nate's bedside table.

Nate swore, searching the floor for his boxer shorts but finding Samantha's underwear instead. She smiled, kissing his jaw. "I wish we didn't have to back." She said. She knew they should hurry but part of her just wanted to lay here in Nate's arms and forget the world.

"Me too," Nate sighed, stroking Sam's long blonde hair. "Look, Sam, I hate to ask this..."

She looked up at him expectantly, her eyes seeing only him. "Ask away," She said when he didn't speak.

"You're going to hate me for saying this, but could we keep this between us," Nate began slowly, but hurriedly added. "Just for now."

She understood why he had to say this, and that he didn't want to, but it still hurt her.

"I understand." She said slowly. "I won't say a word."

Nate hated himself at that moment, he could see the hurt in her eyes. He held her tight, her body warm against his. "I'm sorry, but this is only my second day and I could get in serious trouble for this."

Samantha nodded. "I know, it's okay, really."

He kissed her again, before climbing out of bed and dressing himself. Sam sighed as she pulled her shirt and skirt back on, wishing she could have met Nate anywhere else but school. At least he wasn't a student, she thought, but it did little to make her feel better.

Nate dropped Sam off outside the school gates and circled the car park to find a space before heading inside the school too. He had talks to occupy him all afternoon, so hopefully it would distract him from thinking about Sam and the amazing, passionate sex they had had at lunch. The afternoon dragged slowly by and he longed for a chance to see her again, even if it was just a fleeting glimpse in the hallway.

* * *

He was surprised to see her hovering near his car at the end of the day, and he walked quickly over to her.

"So, if I ask you for a drink, will you turn me down again?" Sam asked, smiling at him.

"Well," Nate grinned cheekily. "I've got what I wanted for you now, so I don't see much point in wasting money on buying you a drink." He looked around for a moment to check that everyone else had gone home before opening the passenger side door for her.

"You sure know how to treat a woman right, PC Roberts." She said, sliding into the car. They went back to his place again, but this time they took things at a more leisurely pace, enjoying each other and feelings they experienced.

"I don't usually do this, you know." Sam said later, laying in the crook of Nate's arm and running her fingers over his smooth, bare chest.

"What? Have sex with extremely good looking and charming policemen? You surprise me!" He teased.

Sam swatted his arm playfully. "No, I mean, I've always been more about relationships. I don't usually just have sex without knowing the guy, or at least going on a date with him."

Nate sat up a bit, looking down at her with concern. "You don't regret this, do you?"

She shook her head empathically. "Definitely not, no. I'm just realising what I missed all this time."

He kissed her again. "We have a lot of time to make up for then, don't we?" He said, rolling over on top of her again.

"Nate!" She squealed but she didn't stop him, she wasn't about to let this one slip through her grasp.

* * *

Samantha took a taxi back to her flat later that night. Neither she nor Nate were ready to spend the whole night together. It was far too early to determine what their relationship was, of if it was anything at all. After all, they had known each other two days and had been acting primarily on sexual attraction rather than getting to know each other as people. They had no idea yet if they would even be compatible when it came to having proper dates together. It was still way too early in Nate's position at the school to be considering their future as a couple anyway. They both accepted that their jobs had to take precedence, and that their feelings for each other, whatever they may be, had to come second.

Neither of them knew how to act around each other the next day, but Nate could barely remember the names of half of the teachers at Deansgate, so their awkwardness was not obvious. First thing Wednesday morning was always a staff meeting and the headmaster had asked Nate to join them, and to talk with them. Sun Hill had many programmes they wished to introduce to help the pupils at Deansgate feel more secure and give them more knowledge about crime and crime prevention. They also wanted to educate the teachers, and Nate tried as hard a she could not to look across at Sam when he spoke about this particular issue.

At the end of the meeting, Nate stayed behind to answer a few more questions while most of the teachers. He tried to concentrate on what the Head of Maths was saying but he had seen Samantha leave the room with Emily Walker, the history teacher and they appeared to be deep in conversation.

"Thank you for your time," Brian Davis said to Nate when the last of the staff had left the room. "Your talk was very informative and from what the kids have been saying, you seem to be quite popular already. Keep it up." He smiled.

Brian seemed to genuinely like Nate, which made him feel all the more guilty. He was sure, right there and then, that he should stop seeing Sam. They had had a great, if short, time together but he had to get his priorities straight. She was beautiful, intelligent and they were amazing together but he couldn't afford to stake his career on that, and neither could she. At least he already knew that she understood that, but it wasn't fair to keep being hot and cold with her. If things kept going the way they were, Nate could see himself working at Deansgate, if only part time in the distant future, for a good long time. There would be plenty of time for him to get to know Sam as person without jeopardising either of their jobs.

_Hope you enjoyed! If you think the SNateyness is moving too fast, please don't be put off! As always suggestions are welcomed! :) xx_


	3. Part 3

* * *

What I Go to School For

**Thanks again for all the reviews! I really appreciate it, I didn't realise there were so many SNate fans around! :D**

ihearthuxon: Thank you honey! Glad you like it!  
Huxabelle164: Thanks a lot for your review! Welcome aboard the SNate ship! I still love Huxon but its fun to pair Sam off with other people too!  
: Thank you for reviewing! Glad you don't think its moving too fast!  
AforAntechnicus: Thanks for reviewing! Glad the SNate is growing on you! :)  
Miss SunHill: Don't apologise! I like caps, lol! Glad you liked the last chapter! That's so cool!  
DI Samantha Hunter: Thanks for reviewing hun! Glad you liked!  
SaMaNdPhiL4eVeR: Thanks very much! :)  
Huxonbabe!: Thanks for your review! I know! I'm still in denial about Lisa!

**Thanks guys! Here's goes Pt. 3. I think there's going to be five chapters in total! Xxx**

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* * *

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**Part 3: One Month Later**

"Still no word from Nate?" Emily Walker asked, toying absentmindedly with the engagement ring on her finger. The two teachers were sat in Samantha's office, drinking coffee as the rain lashed against the windows. It was the one time during the week where the two of them actually had a free period at the same time, and although they both had more than enough work to do, today what they needed most was a coffee and a chat.

Samantha set her mug down on the table and sighed. "No, we smile and say hello if we pass in the corridor and that's it." She looked helplessly at her friend, but Emily didn't know how to reply. She could see both Sam and Nate's sides. "I almost wish we'd been together but had broken up, that way I'd know we weren't right for each other and I could move on."

Emily reached for Samantha's hand. "Maybe it just wasn't meant to be. Nate's a lovely guy, and not at all bad to look at but he's not the only man for you Sam."

She sighed again. "No, maybe not." She agreed. "But right now he's the one I want." She got up and paced the small room for a few moments. "I need to stop thinking about him, she resolved."

Emily nodded her agreement. "Get out there Sam, there are plenty of other man who'd be lucky to have you."

Sam sat down again. "Thanks, Emily." She smiled, finishing her coffee and feeling a bit better about the situation. Still, he was there at the back of her mind and she wondered if he was thinking of her too.

* * *

By the end of his second week at Deansgate, Nate had stopped being surprised at the amount of Samuels and Samanthas at the school. Now he had been there a month and occasionally he would still look around hopefully when he heard one of the kids shout 'Sam' or 'Samantha' to another student. She had taken his decision to halt their relationship before it went any further pretty well and they had carried on as normally as possible. Still, it would take some time before he could think of her as a colleague and friend. He was beginning to feel at home at the school now, but would be glad when the Easter break came around and he'd be able to return to his usual duties.

"Hi," Samantha smiled tentatively as she approached Nate in the corridor. The hallway wasn't particularly busy but there were still quite a few students around as they moved from one classroom to another.

"Hi," He smiled back, his looking less forced than Sam's did. Or maybe it was just her imagination.

"Can I have a word with you, in my office?" She asked, and turned away without waiting for his response. Nate hurried to keep up with her, wondering, not for the first time, who someone so small could walk so fast. His head was already buzzing the myriad of things Sam might want to talk to him about.

"What's up?" He asked when they reached Samantha's office and she had shut the door.

"I need to talk to you about a pupil in my Year 9 English group," She explained, and Nate felt instantly disappointed. "I'm worried about her," She admitted. "She's a bright student, very capable and hardworking but I've noticed recently that her grades are slipping. It is a pretty stressful time for them, choosing their GCSE options and everything, but I think it's more than that. Could you talk to her?" She asked, turning her green eyes on Nate. It was always going to be impossible for him to say no to that look.

He tried to be professional, knowing that Ms Nixon was talking to PC Roberts, and not Nate the man she had slept with twice. He also knew that it had taken a lot for her to be able to talk to him like this.

"Of course I can," He replied gently. "But I'd like you to be there too, Samantha. If there is something going on, maybe at home, she'll want to have a friendly face there too, especially a female one."

She nodded. "Okay, thank you Nate." She kissed his cheek gently, before opening the door for him.

"You're welcome," He replied with a smile as he left the office.

* * *

Samantha spoke to the pupil after her lesson with Year 8 the next day and arranged for them to meet with PC Roberts. The girl, Rachel, seemed to resist at first, but Sam could see something like fear in her eyes and she agreed to the meeting.

Sam and Nate were waiting in the office when Rachel arrived, looking nervous and playing absent-mindedly with her hair.

"Hi Rachel," Nate smiled across at her, trying to make her feel at ease. "Ms Nixon is concerned about you and thought you might like to talk to me about something."

Rachel shook her head, her brown eyes filling with tears. Samantha and Nate exchanged a look, they had definitely been right, something was wrong in Rachel's life.

"It's okay," Sam soothed. "Anything you talk to PC Roberts about is confidential." She assured her.

"I...I don't...I don't know what you want me to say." Rachel stuttered, not able to look at either of them.

"You don't have to say anything," Nate replied. "But if you do want to talk you can talk to me, or one of the female officers from my station."

"Uh, thank you." Rachel said, hastily pushing her chair back. "Can I go now please?"

"Of course," Samantha said softly and Rachel quickly left the room.

* * *

"You were definitely right about her, Sam." Nate said once Rachel was gone. "There's something going on, I'll ask my friend Beth from the station to come and have a chat with some of the girls. She's not that much older than some of them, so she'll get through to them better than I can."

"Thanks for doing this, Nate." Samantha replied, wishing she didn't like him quite so much. It made things even harder.

"It's my job," He said softly, but they both knew that it was more than that between them. He sighed, the end of the school day was over but he wasn't ready to leave yet; wasn't ready to leave her yet. "I miss you, Sam, I know we weren't even really together, but I hate having to pretend that we're just colleagues."

Samantha smiled, she thought that after a month Nate would have moved on from the possibility of them. She was glad that he hadn't, because she certainly hadn't.

"Maybe we could get a drink tonight," She suggested. "As friends?"

Nate smiled. "I'd like that." He meant it too but he wasn't sure how good he would be at being just friends with her.

* * *

"So, do you get the same school holidays as the kids?" Nate asked later as they sat opposite each other in a pub a few streets away.

"Yeah, I do." Sam replied with a smile. "It's definitely a perk of the job."

"Do you have any plans for the Easter break?" Nate asked, pretty sure that his attempt at subtlety was failing miserably.

"Yes actually, I'm going to stay with my sister in Brighton." Sam replied. "You?"

"I'll be back at the station, I've only got two more full weeks at Deansgate and then my working hours will be divided between ordinary police work and working at the school."

Samantha nodded, but she couldn't help feeling disappointed even if it was irrational. She would still see Nate and it might make a relationship between them more likely if they weren't constantly falling over each other at the school.

"Can I get you another drink?" He asked when Sam didn't speak, but she shook her head.

"I've got a stack of coursework drafts to look at tonight, sorry." She said, finishing the last of her white wine spritzer.

"I'll see you tomorrow then?" Nate asked as the two of them pushed their chairs back and stood. Sam nodded, slipping her jacket on over her shoulders.

They walked out of the pub together but lingered for a few moments before they had to go their separate ways. Neither of them really knew what to say but they didn't want to leave yet either.

"'Bye then," Nate said, feeling more awkward in her presence than he had in a while.

"Bye," Samantha echoed but still neither of them moved, they just stood staring at each other uncomfortably.

Nate bit the bullet and pulled her to him, pressing his lips against her's in a tender but short kiss. He pulled away before Sam had had a chance to decide how to react.

"'Bye Sam," He said and walked away, leaving her staring after him, confused and more bewitched by him than ever before.

_Hope you liked this chapter! And yes, that is a bit of plot that you saw developing somewhere along the way! :P lol xxx_


	4. Part 4

**What I Go to School For**

_Thanks again for all the reviews guys! It means a lot!  
Huxabelle164: Thanks for your review! Yeah, I'm going through a SNate phase at the moment! I really liked your SNate fic! Hope you write more!  
ihearthuxon: Aww, thanks for reviewing! Glad you liked it!  
DI Samantha Hunter: Thank you for reviewing hun! Hehe, yes, they'll definitely be seeing more of each other.  
Miss Sun Hill: Thank you for your review! Really pleased that you like it!  
Huxonbabe: Thanks for reviewing! And thanks for reminding me about Lisa Maxwell being on PoG tomorrow! I'll definitely watch/record that!_

This is the second to last installment. Hope you like it! Xx

**Part 4: Easter**

"I honestly don't know what to do about him," Samantha sighed. She and her older sister, Torri, were drinking cups of tea in her kitchen in Brighton. Torri's kids were playing outside in the garden, and Sam could see them from where she was sat at the kitchen table. Until recently she had dismissed the idea of having children, she was getting older and there hadn't been a steady man in her life for a long time. She had all but given up on having children, and was okay with that, but seeing Sarah and Luke playing in the garden was awakening maternal instincts that she thought had disappeared for good. She sighed before she spoke again, trying to avoid making eye contact with her sister who had always been able to read her too well. "I think I might love him."

"This is big Sam," Torri sighed. "Do you think he feels the same way about you?"

Samantha shrugged. "It's hard to tell," She began slowly. "I know he likes me, but for him his job has to come first. With me, I would jack in the job in tomorrow if I knew it was what it would take for him to be with me, and I hate that Torri, I've never been that woman before."

Torri took her sister's hand. "You need to talk to him sweetie, you can't go on like this, not knowing."

"I know," Sam sighed again. "But if he doesn't feel that way about me, I'm going to look like a complete moron. I've not even known him two months yet, and we've not spent all that much time together over that period either."

"Have you...?" Despite being married for ten years and having two children, Torri still blushed as she struggled with the question she wanted to ask.

"Yes, twice." Samantha finished for her. "But not for a while."

Torri nodded, taking a sip of tea before she spoke. She wasn't quite sure what to say, she wanted her little sister to be happy and it didn't help that she hadn't met Nate.

"You really need to talk to him," She said. "Why don't you call him now? While you're in the right frame of mind."

Samantha laughed humourlessly. "I don't think I'll ever be in the right frame of mind!" But part of her still really wanted to take her sister's advice.

* * *

Several times that day Samantha had debated calling Nate, like Torri had suggested, but she couldn't do it. She decided that she would just accept things the way they were. If Nate wanted more than just her friendship then he would have to make the first move.

She didn't see Nate until the first day back at school and even then things were too hectic for them to speak. She only saw him twice that day, once in the back to school assembly and once in the hallway but they'd been going in different directions. They didn't exchange anything more than the briefest of smiles.

Sam had intended on catching up with Nate at the end of the working day, but when she went to the car park she could see no sign of his police car. She knew that he wouldn't be at the school quite so much now, he had told her that himself, but she thought he would have found her for a chat before he left. They were still working together trying to help Rachel Tyler come forward about what was bothering her, but Nate had not spoken to her about it since before the Easter break.

* * *

When she got home, Sam poured herself a glass of wine and decided to call Nate. She had missed her over the fortnight she had been away. Talking to Torri about him had definitely helped too. She tried him on his mobile first, thinking that he might still be at work but when she got no answer she tried him home number. It rang and rang, and she was tempted to hang up but finally the call was answered.

"Hello?" Samantha was shocked to hear a woman answering the phone rather than Nate. She was so surprised that she couldn't make her mouth work. "Hello?" The voice sounded annoyed this time and Sam quickly hung up. She knew it was cowardly and that there could be hundreds of explanations but she was stung. Maybe in the fortnight she had been away, Nate had met someone new or maybe he had finally gotten his act together with Beth whom he mentioned from work occasionally.

Samantha poured more wine into her glass and went through to the bathroom, running the hot tap to fill the bath. She selected her favourite bath oil and added it to the tub. She needed to relax and a bath and a glass of wine had always worked in the past, if she'd had a hard day at the school or a problem with a student. She didn't know if it would be enough to stop her thinking about Nate and his mystery woman though.

* * *

The next morning at school she was surprised to see Nate making his way straight towards her in the corridor.

"I've been trying to call you," He said, looking stressed and flustered and not bothering with any small talk.

"Oh, sorry." Sam replied, once again totally unsure how to act around him. In truth she had turned off her mobile and unplugged the landline, and gone to bed with more wine and watched television all evening.

"It's about Rachel," He said. "She didn't come home last night!"

Samantha's eyes widened. She didn't know what to say. "What happened?"

Nate shrugged one shoulder. "Her father reported that she was missing about nine o'clock last night, he thought she might have gone to a friend's house after school but as the evening went on and he didn't hear from her, he began to worry."

"I was hoping to talk to you about her yesterday," Sam said, trying not to sound accusatory. "But I didn't see you."

Nate all but glared at her. "I haven't heard from you in weeks Samantha, I was going to go out of my way to talk to you about anything, especially Rachel seeing as Beth and I thought we had the issue under control."

"Oh, Beth," Sam replied. "That's who answered the phone last night, then." She said it more to herself than to Nate.

"Yes, it was," He replied coldly. "Do you have a problem with that?"

The corridor was beginning to swell with people, so they wordlessly headed for Samantha's office instead. She closed the door after them and leant against it, her arms folded protectively across her chest.

"Do you have a problem with that?" He asked again, looking at her in a way Samantha could never have imagined him too. The look broke her heart.

"Yes." She said. "You're the one who played hot and cold with me constantly. One minute you wanted me, then your job was more important. What was I supposed to do, Nate?"

"I'm not with Beth," Nate said, looking at her helplessly. "Beth was at my flat because neither of us had eaten so we decided to talk about Rachel's case over Chinese takeout."

Samantha didn't know whether to feel relieved or stupid. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have jumped to conclusions. After all, it's none of my business who you see or who you don't see."

Nate leaned back against Sam's desk, looking across at her and thinking, not for the first time, how he had never met a woman anything like her before.

"Damn it, Sam," He pushed himself to a standing position and took a step closer to her. "Don't you see it? Don't you know how I feel about you?"

Samantha shook her head, her breathing becoming more erratic with every step Nate took towards her. "No, tell me; show me." Her voice was low and she found it hard to look at him.

He closed the gap between them, taking her hands and kissing her soundly. Sam moaned into his mouth, wrapping her arms around Nate's neck and twisting her fingers in his light brown hair.

When breathing became an issue, they pulled apart, smiling at each other. Suddenly Nate became serious, his eyes taking on a guarded expression.

"We have to find Rachel first," Nate said, knowing that Samantha would have to decide right now if she could bear coming second place in his life to his job. "Later we'll talk about you and me."

Samantha nodded, respecting and loving Nate more for putting Rachel above their own wants and needs. "I'm coming with you."

Nate looked at her with surprise. "You are?"

"Yes. Rachel is partly my responsibility too. If something has happened to her, or does happen to her, I'll never be able to forgive myself."

"Okay, let's get going then." Nate grinned at her, helping her to straighten her jacket before leaving the office, and the school, together.

"Rachel talked to me in confidence yesterday, I wanted to find you, and have you there too but she only wanted to talk to me, because she doesn't really know me. I think telling you would have been too awkward for her." Nate explained as they drove out of the school gates and towards the police station. "Obviously I can't break that confidence, but now that she has disappeared, it's important that everyone knows the essential facts."

Samantha nodded, touched and honoured that Nate trusted her like this. "Okay, I won't repeat anything you tell me." She assured him.

He smiled across at her slightly. "I know that, Sam." He said softly. "Rachel had been having trouble with a boy; a boy in her class, does the name Edward Gibson mean anything to you?"

Samantha considered it for a moment, Deansgate Comprehensive was a big school so it was hard to know all of the students. Still, the name Edward Gibson rang a bell with her, somewhere in the reaches of her mind. It clicked. "I used to teach his older brother, Jamie Gibson," She said, the memory slowly returning to her. "He was difficult to put it mildly, he was always in trouble, never handed work in on time or behaved in class. He only turned up for school when he really had to, and he was always causing fights, more often than not concerning girls in his year."

Nate nodded, glad he had chosen to confide in Samantha, her input and knowledge of the school could prove essential. "Interesting. It sounds like the apple hasn't fallen very far from the tree. It appears that Rachel and Edward had been dating for a little while, he wanted sex, she didn't but he kept trying to manipulate her into it. As you know, Rachel is a good girl and she wants to study and get good grades, so she broke up with Edward. As you can imagine, he wasn't happy about that and he and his friends have been pursuing her ever since."

"Poor kid," Sam sighed. She liked Rachel, and she was a pleasure to teach. "Where is Edward now?"

"We're holding him at the station, but he won't say anything. He claims not to have seen Rachel since before Easter." Nate explained, pulling into a parking space behind the station.

"Are you sure you want me to come in with you?" Samantha asked, suddenly feeling a little nervous. She tried to concentrate on helping Rachel.

"Of course." Nate grinned, leading her towards reception and getting her a visitor's pass. They went upstairs to CID where a room had been set aside for the case. Nate introduced Samantha to his colleagues, explaining that she was a teacher at Deansgate and knew Rachel pretty well.

She listened in to the briefing and offered to help Nate search the area for her. If they found Rachel, she would be glad of a familiar face.

The officers were leaving the briefing room, Nate and Sam were amongst them. They had each been assigned a search quadrant of the area around Rachel's home and Deansgate school. A grey haired, middle aged man who had been introduced to Sam as Jack Meadows rushed out of the briefing room after the searchers.

"Wait, everybody come back! We've found Rachel Tyler!"

_Sorry for the cliffhanger again! Review, please?! Xx_


	5. Part 5

What I Go to School For

**Here's the final part for you! Thanks to everyone who reviewed along the way!**

**DI Samantha Hunter: Thank you for reviewing!! Really glad you liked it! Xx  
ihearthuxon: Thanks so much for your review! I really appreciated your comments!  
Huxabelle164: Thank you!! Glad you liked it! :D  
MissSunHill: Thanks for reviewing! It means a lot!  
huxonbabe: Thank you for reviewing! Hope you like this chapter! I taped it but I haven't watched it yet!**

_Hope you like this installment! Reviews are appreciated!  
_

* * *

Part 5:

Samantha and Nate exchanged looks of surprise and unfounded hope. Rachel may have been found but it didn't mean that she was still alive. And, even if she was alive, she may have endured more trauma than a girl of her age who simply walk away from. This situation was not something she was used to dealing with so Samantha stayed cautiously optimistic. Nate, on the other hand, had a far more realistic approach.

"What if she dies Nate?" Sam asked, just because she wanted to look on the bright side it didn't mean that she didn't have a well of panic bursting inside of her.

"Let's focus on the positive." Nate replied as they rushed down the stairs and out of the police station. Despite his words, Nate could feel a sense of impending doom in the air and felt palpable fear for Rachel Tyler.

Nate pulled out of the car park behind the other squad cards, his siren and lights both going. On the way, he broke every speed limit he had driven through.

Sam gripped the door handle, thinking how this was a million miles away from her ordinary day to day job at the high school.

Nate and Samantha were out of the car barely before it had stopped, and they rushed through the undergrowth after the other uniformed officers.

"Are you okay?" Nate called back to Sam, offering a hand to help her though the thick, leafy branches. When she had dressed this morning, she hadn't been expecting any of this to happen and now her skirt and heels seemed totally inappropriate.

She nodded, gritting her teeth and disentangling her skirt from a bramble. Finding Rachel was far more important than anything else she could think of at that moment, but she let Nate help her down the grassy bank anyway.

When they reached the area where Rachel had been found by a retired couple out walking their dog, they saw that the area was already swarming with paramedics. Samantha and Nate exchanged a look and headed straight over to where Rachel's body was being loaded onto a stretcher.

"PC Roberts," Nate introduced, walking right up to one of the paramedics. "This is Ms Samantha Nixon, she's one of Rachel's teachers at Deansgate Comprehensive. I'm working as Safer Schools Officer there, we've both been meeting with Rachel." He explained.

"Is she going to be okay?" Sam chipped in before the paramedic to form a response for Nate.

"She's been badly beaten," The paramedic, who's name badge read Lee, replied. He looked from Nate to Samantha and back while he spoke. "It looks like she may have been sexually assaulted, but once we get her to St. Hugh's, she should be okay. Give it a few more hours before you take a statement though, okay?" He finished in a softer voice, and both Sam and Nate assumed that he had daughters of his own.

"Thank you, Mr. Lee." Samantha replied, turning away and walking towards a secluded area of the woodland away from the police tape and activity.

* * *

One moment she was there beside him and then she was gone, Nate looked around in surprise until he spotted her. He ran towards her, his feet slipping a little on the dew soaked grass.

"Hey!" Nate called, as she moved farther from him still. "What's wrong?"

Sam turned to face him, and it was only then that he noticed she was crying. "What's wrong?" She echoed. "What's wrong is one of my pupils is on her way to hospital, possibly raped and brutalised. I should have done more for her, Nate, I failed her. She's only fourteen for God's sake, she doesn't deserve this!" Another wave of tears pooled in her eyes and crept down her cheek. Nate reached out and wiped some of the teardrops away with the pad of his thumb.

"You're not blaming yourself for this, are you Sam?" Nate looked at her in shock.

She looked away, refusing to meet his eye. In her mind, she was going over and over all of the things she could have done differently to have prevented this.

"You are, aren't you?" Nate said, more softly this time. "Look at me," He commanded, taking her chin between his finger and thumb, and tilting it so she had no choice but to look him in the eyes. If she hadn't been so preoccupied by her feelings of guilt and blame over what had happened to Rachel, she would have seen the love there. "This is not your fault Sam, you came to me and told me you were worried about her._ You _did. Hell, you're not even her form tutor and you noticed. _You _did something. Neither of us did enough, but we tried and this is _not_ your fault Sam. You have to stop thinking like that."

His words only made her cry more, he took another step towards her, wrapping his warm arms around her petite body, which suddenly seemed more fragile that before. He didn't care who saw them; didn't care what they said, Sam needed him and he was going to offer her all the support she needed.

Neither of them were sure how long they stood there like that, oblivious to the hive of activity around them, and concentrating only on each other. Samantha's head resting against his shoulder, making a damp patch on his uniform from the tears that had finally dried.

"Come on, let's get out of here," Nate said softly, letting go of Sam, but taking her hand instead. They walked back up the incline together to where they had left the police car at the side of the road. "Do you need to go back to the school, or do you want to go straight to the hospital?" He asked.

"Hospital." Samantha replied without hesitation, already annoyed with herself for her selfish outburst. Maybe there was more she could have done for Rachel, but now was the not the time to wallow in self pity.

"Okay," Nate replied, as they drove towards St. Hugh's. Every now and then he stole a look across at Samantha, but her expression gave little away. It was hard to believe she had cried in his arms not more than fifteen minutes ago.

* * *

Neither Nate nor Samantha spoke as they headed towards the hospital's main entrance and asked the receptionist for directions to Rachel's ward.

"Do you mind if I go in alone?" Sam asked, the first words she had spoken since she had chosen to come here rather than go back to Deansgate.

"Of course not," Nate replied. "I'll be right outside, and I would like to speak her too, once you're done."

Sam nodded and approached Rachel's bedside. She looked younger than her fourteen years, her brown hair a tangled cloud around her pale face. It looked as though she had been crying too and Sam felt the guilt start up again.

"Hi Rachel," She said, sitting down on a hard plastic chair beside the teenager's bedside. "How are you feeling?"

Rachel hazel eyes darted around before settling on Sam's. "I'm okay," She replied, but her voice was unsteady. "I'm sorry," She said, surprising Sam completely. "I should have talked to you, you tried to help you and I didn't want to know." Rachel looked down at her hands that were clasped in front of her.

"Oh Rachel, you can't blame yourself." Samantha replied in shock. "This wasn't your fault." She realised that she was repeating the words Nate had told her earlier.

Rachel smiled but it didn't reach her eyes. "It's okay, Ms Nixon. I'm going to be okay," She averted her eyes from Sam's again. "I...I wasn't raped," She blushed a deep pink and Samantha knew this must be the last conversation anyone would wish to have with their teacher. "I'll be okay," She said again.

Samantha smiled kindly at her. "Of course you will." She said, stroking the back of Rachel's hand. "I'll let you get some rest." She had noticed the dark circles under her eyes and knew that Rachel must be exhausted. "PC Roberts wants to ask you a few questions, and then we'll leave you in peace."

Sam gestured to where Nate was stood at the end of the ward, almost smiling when she saw the nurse that was flirting with him; Nate didn't seem to notice the pretty redhead at all. She tried to will away the rush that it gave her but it wasn't impossible to fight. Nate crossed the ward to Rachel's bedside, and the girl looked at Sam knowingly.

"I'll wait outside," She offered, seeing Nate take out his notebook. "Take care, Rachel."

"Thank you, Ms Nixon." Rachel waved to her and Sam left the ward, feeling better than she had all day.

* * *

Barely ten minutes had passed before Nate met up with Samantha in the waiting room.

"Everything okay?" She asked as he approached her. He nodded in response, tucking his notebook and pencil away in his pocket.

"Let's get out of here," He muttered, taking her arm and steering her towards the stairs. "I hate hospitals."

Sam smiled wryly. "That nurse sure seem to like you though." She teased.

Nate looked genuinely surprised. "Which nurse?"

Sam laughed now. "She couldn't have been more obvious! The redhead."

"Oh," Nate replied, blushing lightly. He hadn't been aware of any other woman in the room, except for Samantha. "Shall we get some coffee?" He asked, trying to change the subject.

Sam smiled. "I'd like that, but I really do have to get to school."

"I'll take you," Nate offered.

Outside the school gate, Nate turned in his seat to face Sam, noticing the way the spring sunshine shone off her blonde hair. He had never wanted anything so much as he wanted her to be his.

"Can I see you later?" He asked, resisting the urge to tuck a stray strand of hair behind Samantha's ear. He knew that touching her, even a simple gesture, would destroy all of his carefully built composure.

"I'd like that," Sam smiled, self consciously tucking that same strand of hair behind her ear. "Pick me up at seven?" She asked, disappearing out of the car before Nate could agree or argue.

* * *

Samantha was ready and waiting for Nate when he arrived at her house just before seven o'clock that evening. She wasn't sure if tonight was a date or not, but she did know that she wanted it to be. She thought of her sister and the conversations she had had over her stay at Easter and she knew that Torri was right, she needed to talk to Nate.

"You look beautiful," He smiled, offering her a bunch of pink roses.

"Thank you," She smiled back, accepting the flowers and motioning for Nate to come inside.

"So, where do you want to go tonight?" Nate asked, following Sam to the living room.

"I don't mind," She replied absently, trying to think of a subtle way to talk about all of the things she had discussed with Torri.

"Or we could just stay here," Nate suggested. "Order in a take out, and watch a film?"

Sam smiled. "Okay, that sounds good."

Nate eyed her suspiciously. "Is everything alright, Sam?"

She nodded, then shrugged and then finally shook her head, confusing Nate completely in the process. "I need to know what we're doing here Nate."

"Okay," He replied. "I don't really know what we're doing but I have got some news for you."

Sam nodded and waited for him to continue. "The Special Schools Officer post in schools around London has been so successful that they want to train people especially to do the job."

"What does that mean exactly?" Sam asked, feeling a sudden rush of panic at not being able to see Nate almost every day of the week at school.

"It means I go back to being PC Roberts the policeman, not PC Roberts the SSO." He explained, and saw Samantha's face fall in disappointed. He crossed the room to stand before her, taking both of her hands in both of his. "And it also means we can be together."

She looked up at him then, hope shining in her green eyes. "You mean that?"

"I do," He replied, grinning at her before leaning in closer still and kissing her. She kissed him back, holding him close to her as if this was a dream that would end at any moment. "And you know what?" He said breathlessly when they finally broke apart. "I'm not so hungry anymore."

Samantha laughed, kissing him again and leading the way to her bedroom.

_Hope you liked this! Thanks again to everyone! Please review one last time! :D xxx_


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